Towar: Friday Crew make Welcome Inn feel like home

Don Newman, second from left, one of the guests of The Welcome Inn day warming center for the homeless, thanked the Friday Crew, from left, Izzy Farhat, Mary Ann Haddad and Nabila Fakhouri, at a dinner of appreciation for South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless volunteers. (Submitted photo)

Workers on the Friday Crew were among the volunteers South Oakland Citizens for the Homeless invited to dinner March 13 as thanks for helping at The Welcome Inn day warming center, now closed until next winter.

Mary Ann Haddad, Nabilia Fakhouri and Izzy Farhat are known as the Friday Crew, longtime friends who like to do things together. Three years ago, Haddad read in this column that The Welcome Inn needed volunteers to make casserole dishes for guest’s lunches, and she started volunteering. The next year, Fakhouri and Farhat joined in, and the three friends started cooking together on Fridays.

“We found that guests really wanted some home cooking, so we started adding extras for breakfast, like French toast casserole, potatoes and eggs, sausage and pancakes,” said Haddad. “We tried to make Fridays special because we knew that, over the weekend, they were pretty much on their own.”

The friends prepared blueberry, apple-cinnamon and banana-walnut pancakes. “One of the guests said he hadn’t had anything like that since his mother made pancakes for him,” Haddad said. “When you hear something like that, it touches your heart.”

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“Then we started doing something special for one Friday lunch a month, then two. This year, we made something different other than casseroles every Friday. We wanted to add a bit of a home touch to that day.”

“What was wonderful was hearing the comments of the guests,” Haddad said. “They told us that when they were little kids, they used to watch their moms work in the kitchen and it brought back memories, watching the cooks and smelling the food.”

Haddad related how, on the last Friday of this season, one of the guests told another she could really go for a hamburger. When she was told the Friday Crew was making quarter pound hamburgers with waffle fries and all the fixings, she thought it was a joke.

After she ate, she told the Friday Crew, “Thank you, that was amazing.”

Longtime volunteer Helen Blizinski celebrated her 89th birthday with Welcome Inn guests, when her son brought a birthday cake for her to share.

Don Newman, who is homeless, told the gathered crowd. “I’m been asked to represent the guests and express their appreciation to the volunteers.”

“Don is one of our leaders,” said SOCH board member Mary Johnston. “He’s a guest, but he’s like part of our staff.”

“It’s easy to say, ‘I would if I could,” Newman said. He quoted author Wendell Berry, “Those who would if they could, should when they can.”

“And that’s what the volunteers at The Welcome Inn actually do,” Newman said. “You were here before morning light; you were here after dark of night. When you’ve taken a person’s time, you’ve taken part of their life and we just want to thank you.”

As master of ceremonies, SOCH board member and pastor of Berkley First Methodist and Beverly Hills United Methodist churches David Huseltine thanked Starr Presbyterian Church board members and Pastor Ken Kaibel. The Welcome Inn moved to Starr this winter season to have more space.

“The facilities and the people who came along with them are awesome,” said Welcome Inn Associate Director Ed Czerniakowski.

He noted that this year a new and expanded nursing program started, under the direction of Wayne State College of Nursing’s Judi Fouladbakhsh, with 323 nurse visits, compared to 99 last year.

The Welcome Inn sheltered the highest number of guests this year, as many as 72 at one time. The average stay was 30 days and the average number of guests per day was 40. SOCH does not receive any government funds, but operates The Welcome Inn only by donations and fundraisers.

A spring fundraiser is planned for Wednesday, May 29 at St. Dunstan’s outdoor Greek theater, 400 Lone Pine Road in Bloomfield Hills.

Attendees will arrive at 7:30 pm. for an English high tea reception, and stroll the beautiful grounds of Cranbrook before attending the dress rehearsal performance of “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” Tickets are $20 and will be available in April. Call SOCH board member Norma Regenold at 248-585-7021.

“It’s remarkable what volunteers can do when they set their minds to it,” Czerniakowski said.

“How good it is we have a place where people can come and be warm, not only by the heat from the building, but the hospitality of the staff and volunteers,” Huseltine concluded.

Royal Oak Nature Society programs

Put on your boots and join a naturalist from the Royal Oak Nature Society on two walks through Tenhave Woods. At 10 a.m. Saturday, April 6, the focus will be on pond life, and at noon, wildflowers will be the subject.

The Society’s monthly speaker program, at Royal Oak Middle School, 709 N. Washington Ave. at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, will feature Stephanie Schneider, Yellowstone National Park interpretive ranger, who will talk and answer questions about “Wolves: Myth, History and Ecology.”

Nature Society walks and programs are free and open to the public. Tenhave Woods is at Marais Avenue and Lexington Boulevard behind Royal Oak High School.

Optimist Bowlabration helps kids

The Royal Oak Optimist Club lives up to their motto, “Friend of Youth,” by supporting youth programs like the recent Oratorical Contest. They founded what is now the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Oakland County in 1957 as the Boys Club of Southern Oakland County.

Their annual Bowlabration raises money so they can continue to support kids. Get together a team and register at Astro Lanes in Madison Heights at 12:45 p.m. Sunday, April 7, for an afternoon of fun.

Bowling is $30 per person or $120 per lane and begins at 1:30 p.m. In between, there’ll be a silent auction, raffles, door prizes and a good time. Two games, rental shoes, pizza and pop are included. Bring the kids for bumper bowling.

To register to bowl, or to donate a door prize or auction item, call Patty Dunstan at 248-760-6876 and help the Optimists help kids.

The Royal Oak Optimists meet at 7:15 a.m. Wednesdays at Jimi’s Restaurant, 714 S. Washington Ave. in Royal Oak. They welcome prospective members.

Learn about fiber art

Fiber artist Diane Nunez will give a presentation on the unique process of three dimensional fiber art called landscape architecture at the South Oakland Art Association’s meeting, 7 p.m. Monday, April 8, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 814 N. Campbell Road in Royal Oak.

All artists and art lovers are invited to this free event, where refreshments will be served.

Have news about your club, organization or interesting individuals in Southeast Oakland County you would like to share with the community? Email Jeanne Towar at jeanne.towar@gmail.com or call 248-890-8370.